Do you wash spaghetti after boiling it?

Here's why:

* You lose starch: The starchy water from cooking pasta is actually a good thing! It helps the sauce cling to the noodles. Washing it away will make your spaghetti bland and less flavorful.

* You cool it down: Washing the pasta with cold water will shock it and make it cold, which can affect the texture of the pasta.

* You lose nutrients: Some of the nutrients from the pasta can be lost during the washing process.

What to do instead:

1. Drain the pasta: After cooking, drain the pasta in a colander.

2. Toss with sauce immediately: This will help prevent the noodles from sticking together and will allow the sauce to coat them evenly.

Exception: If you're making a cold pasta salad, you can rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down.